Meaty Choices

When it comes to mealtime, few foods are as sacrosanct as meat. But anyway you slice them, the wrong choices have health and environmental repercussions.

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A generation or two ago, if you were serving up a juicy steak or plump chicken for dinner, there was a good chance it came from an animal raised by a local farmer whose livestock roamed on idyllic acreage, stuffing themselves as nature intended. But with the proliferation of mega meat factories where animals are pumped full of drugs and cheap, genetically modified grain, eating too much meat may not only be bad for your health, it has serious environmental impacts. Excessive concentrations of livestock sets up a scenario for land degradation, polluted waterways, sky-high carbon emissions and poor animal welfare.

Yet, runners should not lose their appetites as meat provides muscle-mending protein, energizing iron and other nutrients that bolster performance and recovery. The key is to understand the issues and make smarter choices. Here’s how to score the best meat for your body and the planet.